International trade in services covers all services rendered by Australian residents to non-residents (exports) and by non-residents to residents (imports), where services are broadly defined as products other than tangible goods. As international trade in services cover a diverse range of activities, various data sources and methods are used to compile estimates of the different service types.

Conceptual framework

Australia's international trade in services statistics are compiled in accordance with the fifth edition of the International Monetary Fund'sBalance of Payments Manual (BPM5). More information on the concepts, sources and methods used to produce Australia's international trade in services statistics is included in Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods(5331.0).

Classification

The international standard for the classification of international trade in services is defined in theBPM5 framework. This framework has been further elaborated in the 'Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification', as detailed in the UN publication Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services.

International trade in services statistics are compiled for transportation, travel, communications, construction, computer and information services, royalties and licence fees, other business services, personal, cultural and recreational services and government services. Some information is also available by partner country and state.

Statistical overview

In current price terms, Australia's international net trade in services in 2002-03 recorded a deficit of $1.5b, an increase of $0.6b on the $0.9b deficit recorded in 2001-02. Services exports (credits) rose marginally, by $0.1b (0.5%) to $31.3b. Small rises in computer and information services and other business services were offset by a fall in travel services. Services imports (debits) increased by $0.7b to $32.8b (2.3%). Most categories recorded rises with the largest increase being $231m in other business services. Table 30.26 provides details of the international trade in services, by service type.

As shown in table 30.27, the main destinations for services exports in 2001-02 (the latest year available) were the United States of America (15%), the United Kingdom (11%), Japan (11%), Singapore (7%) and New Zealand (7%). Services exports to each of these markets fell in 2001-02, except for Singapore. The main source countries for services imports in 2001-02, as shown in table 30.28, were the United States of America (19%), the United Kingdom (11%), Singapore (7%), Hong Kong (SAR of China) (6%), Japan (5%) and New Zealand (5%). Services from Singapore have almost doubled since 1996-97 while services from Hong Kong have risen by over 50% since 1999-2000.

30.26 INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES, By service type

1997-98

1998-99

1999-2000

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

EXPORTS

Transportation services

6,611

6,803

6,865

8,062

7,665

7,568

Passenger

5,550

5,604

5,848

7,024

6,664

6,643

Freight

1,061

1,199

1,017

1,038

1,001

925

Other

n.p.

n.p.

n.p.

n.p.

n.p.

n.p.

Travel services

11,540

11,944

13,139

15,366

14,775

14,485

Business

893

1,009

1,040

1,166

1,071

1,060

Personal

10,647

10,935

12,099

14,200

13,704

13,425

Communications services

1,361

1,239

1,475

1,397

976

1,057

Construction services

31

18

23

68

101

103

Insurance services

840

859

766

709

673

673

Financial services

713

716

747

747

784

784

Computer and information services

532

676

668

797

949

1,100

Royalties and licence fees

449

488

572

626

515

568

Other business services

2,224

2,552

2,904

3,185

3,391

3,566

Merchanting and other trade-related

481

586

501

489

549

496

Operational leasing

8

8

15

16

26

27

Miscellaneous business, professional and technical

1,735

1,958

2,388

2,680

2,894

3,043

Personal, cultural and recreational services

352

388

475

1,514

568

649

Government services n.e.i.

553

559

735

733

773

791

Total

25,206

26,242

28,369

33,204

31,200

31,344

IMPORTS

Transportation services

9,110

9,367

10,018

11,352

10,776

11,000

Passenger

3,224

3,485

3,876

4,337

4,182

4,266

Freight

5,013

5,009

5,257

5,991

5,626

5,810

Other

873

873

885

1,024

968

924

Travel services

8,372

9,044

9,836

11,189

10,934

11,025

Business

2,416

2,239

2,536

2,854

2,701

2,677

Personal

5,956

6,805

7,300

8,335

8,233

8,348

Communications services

1,407

1,467

1,664

1,766

1,459

1,414

Construction services

-

-

-

-

-

-

Insurance services

915

922

902

878

856

856

Financial services

442

468

527

528

556

556

Computer and information services

336

424

458

417

451

604

Royalties and license fees

1,519

1,692

1,805

1,706

1,791

1,825

Other business services

3,003

3,253

3,046

3,070

3,719

3,950

Merchanting and other trade-related

392

329

221

248

334

399

Operational leasing

-864

1,034

942

1,011

948

975

Miscellaneous business, professional and technical

1,747

1,890

1,883

1,811

2,437

2,576

Personal, cultural and recreational services

702

756

808

767

865

882

Government services n.e.i.

592

633

649

626

649

684

Total

26,398

28,026

29,713

32,299

32,056

32,796

Source: Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Australia (5302.0).

30.27 SERVICE EXPORTS, By country and country group(a)

1996-97

1997-98

1998-99

1999-2000

2000-01

2001-02

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

Belgium and Luxembourg

105

129

100

95

121

111

Brunei Darussalam

14

17

25

18

24

31

Canada

309

359

349

377

458

408

Central America and Caribbean

15

14

40

12

25

25

Chile

9

12

28

9

20

28

China (excl. SARs and Taiwan Prov.)

396

485

573

700

862

875

Fiji

62

122

149

192

146

113

France

207

191

265

290

396

343

Germany

665

725

732

767

868

775

Greece

49

60

64

78

83

54

Hong Kong (SAR of China)

1,054

1,033

964

985

1,154

1,460

Indonesia

1,029

933

835

806

883

962

Ireland, Republic of

77

94

126

165

215

214

Italy

244

251

288

271

310

228

Japan

3,688

3,520

3,253

3,312

3,609

3,343

Korea, Republic of (South)

927

614

449

598

727

780

Malaysia

733

774

659

769

856

807

Mexico

4

5

19

9

13

13

Netherlands

211

272

275

299

325

258

New Zealand

1,666

1,825

1,806

2,041

2,218

2,116

Papua New Guinea

279

341

287

370

376

256

Philippines

189

193

168

184

166

128

Russian Federation

63

60

45

56

76

64

Singapore

1,256

1,199

1,339

1,665

2,099

2,172

South Africa

177

167

217

176

222

169

Sweden

99

188

258

285

226

173

Switzerland

261

280

300

313

374

376

Taiwan

570

536

453

420

434

359

Thailand

474

356

347

441

486

458

United Kingdom

2,171

2,487

2,837

3,100

3,573

3,489

United States of America

3,220

4,108

4,351

4,569

5,042

4,662

Vietnam

n.a.

n.a.

103

96

102

162

Africa n.e.s.

103

122

114

134

146

150

America n.e.s.

324

265

327

292

210

135

Asia n.e.s.

994

980

1,023

1,133

1,366

1,369

Europe n.e.s.

645

554

665

747

1,021

1,021

Oceania n.e.s.

288

216

245

273

361

211

International institutions

2

-

-

-

-

-

Unallocated

1,647

1,719

2,163

2,321

2,709

2,904

Total

24,226

25,206

26,242

28,369

33,204

31,200

APEC

15,817

16,310

16,055

17,428

20,507

19,083

ASEAN

3,825

3,571

3,487

3,992

4,624

4,722

EU

4,152

4,678

5,219

5,667

6,591

5,911

OECD

14,371

15,478

15,780

16,986

19,992

17,756

(a) At the time of compilation, final country data for 2002-03 were not available for inclusion.

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